Friday, February 17, 2017

We're All Ears: February Reveal

The inspiration for this month's We're All Ears challenge was patchwork....And I honestly love patchwork. I love the hodgepodge colors, I love the textures, I love how the pieces of fabric can be used to create either a recognizable image or a painterly impression. I've even tried my hand at patchwork before, to varying levels of success. (I made a patchwork skirt!... but that's a post for another day.) I've even tried my hand at making jewelry inspired by it (like this pair of hairsticks, and this pair of earrings).

...Then why, oh why, did I find this challenge so difficult?I guess it's probably because everything has been difficult this month. Oi. I honestly feel like I'm floundering a little. Still, I did manage to make two pairs of earrings for this challenge... Neither of them are quite exactly what I wanted to make, but at least I tried!The first pair of earrings was inspired by the piece seen above, the textile by Kit Vincent... I loved the colors and the stripes, both of which I tried to emulate:

I found the darling little tassels on LimaBeads, and fell in love with them. The varying colors made me think of the different colored stripes seen in Kit Vincent's patchwork.I decided to pair them with the Vintaj filigree--which, in and of themselves, remind me of more traditional quilt patterns. I added the little dyed magnesite rounds to tie the design together.

They feature enameled metal beads, knotted on purple waxed linen and paired with goldtone findings. Again, the pattern on the beads reminded me a bit of more traditional quilts--and the lovely brocade patterns seen in the inspiration image. By using the waxed linen, I hoped to make them feel a bit more textured, and more reminiscent of the fibrous nature of patchwork.

And so, there you go! Those are the two pairs of earrings that I made for this challenge. I realize, writing this entry, that perhaps they are closer to the inspiration than I originally thought... Either way, I'm glad that I at least tried. And who knows? Maybe I'll come back to this inspiration in the future. :)As always, thanks so much to Erin and those at Earrings Everyday for hosting this challenge... and thank you for stopping by! Feel free to swing by the host blog to see what everyone else has made.Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

What I love about the idea of patchwork or hodgepodge is that anything goes! I like the mix of colors and patterns, shapes and textures. I think you did a great job! Thanks for joining in the fun over at Earrings Everyday! Enjoy the day! Erin

To Tell the Story

See a design here that you like, and want me to replicate? Let me know! Chances are, I will be able to make it for you, too! (Depending on the availability of materials, of course.)

All ideas and designs shown here are my intellectual property--unless otherwise noted and credited. Please do not copy or imitate my creations, and respect their creator. Thank you!

My Monthly Challenge!

...Reveal for my most recent challenge...

Pretty Palettes - July Reveal

We're All Ears - July Reveal

Pretty Palettes - June Reveal

June 2017

We're All Ears - June Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Water & Fire Competition Reveal

Pretty Palettes - May Reveal

We're All Ears - May Reveal

Pretty Palettes - April Reveal

We're All Ears - April Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Forest Journey Reveal

Pretty Palettes - March Reveal

Bead Soup Blog Party: Bead Hoarders Edition

We're All Ears: March Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Queen of Hearts Reveal

Pretty Palettes - February

We're All Ears: February Reveal

Pretty Palettes - January

We're All Ears: January Reveal

Muffin Tin Challenge 2017

Pretty Palettes - December

We're All Ears: December Reveal

2nd Annual Use Your Leftovers Challenge

Pretty Palettes - November

We're All Ears: November Reveal

Pretty Palettes - October 2016

We're All Ears: October Reveal

We're All Ears: August Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Mystery Challenge 2 Reveal

Pretty Palettes - July 2016

Allegory Gallery - Luna Moth Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Coast

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Nomad

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Petal

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Mountain

We're All Ears: July Reveal

Pretty Palettes - June 2016

We're All Ears: June Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Starling Wing Reveal

Pretty Palettes - May 2016

We're All Ears: May Reveal

Pretty Palettes - April 2016

We're All Ears: April Reveal

Pretty Palettes - March 2016

We're All Ears: March Reveal

Pretty Palettes - February 2016

Bead Peeps Swap N' Hop

History Hop: Paleolithic Edition

Beady Leftovers Blog Hop

Leather Feather Blog Hop

AJE Component of the Month - August 2015

Bead Peep's Swap N' Hop

Artisan Component Marketplace Design Kit Challenge

2nd Annual Bead Hoarders Blog Hop

Haberdashery Blog Hop

8th Bead Soup Blog Party

Color of Dreams Blog Hop

Bead Ruckus

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop

History Blog Hop

7th Bead Soup Blog Party

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About Me

I always create.

It is something that I’ve always done, even when I was a little girl making clothes for my dolls and creating elaborate landscapes in the backyard mud. Beads, fabric, paper, ink, language itself—I use every medium that I can get my hands on.

Why do I create? It’s my attempt to express the visions and stories that I have in my head. To me, everything has a story. The jewelry that I make has its place in the worlds about which I write. The skirts and scarves that I create have a history sewn in each seam (especially since I am notorious for not following patterns, but creating my own). To me, they are all outlets of my imagination. All are representations of my inner world.

And so, that is me. Thank you so much for stopping by! I am honored to have the opportunity to share my world with you.